When the quiet German village of Altdorf is taken over by an SS platoon which proceeds to enforce Hitler's ideals upon its inhabitants, a kindly pastor questions the agenda of ‘The New Order’ while members of his parish turn a blind eye to the insidious indoctrination. Before long, he is punished for his vocal opposition and is sent to Dachau, where, despite the abuse and brutality which he suffers, he refuses to give in to the madness and inhumanity of National Socialism.
Adapted from Ernst Toller’s 1939 play of the same name, and based on the true story of Protestant minister Martin Niemöller, Pastor Hall is the impressive third feature from the Boulting brothers (Brighton Rock). Starring Wilfrid Lawson (Pygmalion) as the iconic pastor, and Nova Pilbeam (Young and Innocent) as his formidable daughter, the film was one of the first anti-Nazi dramas ever made and had its original production delayed by British censors who were not yet ready to be openly critical of Hitler's regime.
A bold and stirring tribute to the universal power of faith, courage and personal conviction, Pastor Hall has been newly restored from a 4K scan of the nitrate duplicate negative by Powerhouse Films and is finally available on Blu-ray for the first time in the world.
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Supplements
- The IWM Oral History with Roy Boulting (1980, 96 mins): archival audio recording with the celebrated filmmaker
- Faith Beyond Borders (2022, 15 mins): Matthew D. Hockenos, author of Then They Came for Me: Martin Niemöller, the Pastor Who Defied the Nazis, considers the true and fictional accounts of the pastor’s life
- The Cutting Class (2022, 14 mins): ex-BBFC examiner Richard Falcon discusses the film’s censorship history
- Niemöller Speaks in Hamburg (1946, 3 mins): extract from the Welt in Film newsreel, featuring footage of Martin Niemöller’s speech about post-war German guilt
- The Dawn Guard (1941): short film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Pastor Hall actors Percy Walsh and Bernard Miles as members of the Home Guard
- Minefield! (1944): documentary short film produced by Roy Boulting for the Army Film Unit
- Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Fiona Kelly, archival articles, new writing on the short films, and film credits